R.I.P. Phil O’Donnell

I’m sure not all of you will have heard this story, but I’d like to touch on it briefly. Phil O’Donnell was the captain for the Scottish football club Motherwell FC, and on 29th December 2007 he collapsed on the pitch during a game and died shortly afterwards from heart failure. As you may know I’m no football fan, but there’s a reason why I’m posting about this…

I’ve never liked football that much, however my dad comes from a village near Motherwell and hence he grew up supporting them. He’s not an avid supporter as he doesn’t go to many games, but he does try and go to the odd important one - in fact he was at the 1991 Scottish Cup final where Phil scored his first goal for Motherwell, which helped them win the game and the cup.

On 1st January 2008 my family travelled through to the West of Scotland (near Motherwell) to see my gran as we do every year. The next day, before we came home, my dad went to Motherwell’s stadium, Fir Park to see the tributes left for Phil. He asked my brother and I if we wanted to come, and I wasn’t too bothered at the time, but I’m glad I went in the end. To see such a massive range of support (from fans not only from Motherwell, but lots of different clubs and areas) for Phil and his family was amazing. In his 17-year football career, Phil played for Motherwell, Celtic, Sheffield Wednesday and most recently for Motherwell again, so his friends and fans span the whole of the UK and, as you’ll see from the following Fan Tributes page, all over the world. I believe there are nearly 500 messages on this page…

Fan Tributes for Phil O’Donnell (Motherwell FC website)

I have attached some photos below from when I went to Fir Park, and you’ll see how missed Phil will be. Up until now I’ve only mentioned the support from his friends and fans - but my sincerest condolences also go out to his wife, 4 young children, and the rest of his family. From what I’ve heard, Phil was not only a good footballer - he was also a perfect gentleman and a great person to know - and for those reasons, he will be sorely missed by a lot of people.

R.I.P. Phil O’Donnel 1972-2007.